I have decided to run for selectman and want to share why.
For 30 years I have enjoyed town volunteering, first in Bolton and now in Harvard. For the last four years I have served on the Harvard Historical Commission, which I chair.
A diverse group of people has encouraged me to run for selectman. I’d always wanted to run when I felt I had the time to do it well. With my recent retirement, I decided to go for it.
I grew up much closer to Boston. My wife and I were drawn to the rural character of this area in 1979 and bought a farmhouse on a back road in Bolton. We raised three kids, and I worked at Digital and then a start-up.
In Bolton, I served on the Conservation Commission and then the Planning Board, which I chaired, and introduced new zoning that saved a lot of open space at no cost. I then served on and chaired the School Committee, and then the Conservation Trust. I led the preservation of many large farms. My Houghton ancestors farmed this area, and I enjoyed helping today’s farmers keep their lands in agriculture. Tragedy struck my world in 2001 when my wife had a stroke in her 40s and eventually passed away.
Five years ago I met my second wife, and we decided to each leave our long-term town and choose a new community. We bought a house on the Common in Harvard center, which we love. She’s a first-grade teacher, and I ran a hi-tech company.
If elected selectman, first and foremost I would use my collaborative style to try to find practical solutions to town issues. For example, our Town Hall should be restored well, but done economically. In general, I want our town to maintain its strong schools, and beautiful rural and historical sites, while slowing the growth of taxes and meeting the needs of all ages. I would strive to listen, communicate, and develop consensus on our town’s challenges, from the mundane to the more strategic like the future of Devens.
Ken Swanton
Fairbank Street
